All This Time Were You Just Pretending?
by PrittyNPink567
Summary: Sirius makes a bet with James concerning a certain red-haired someone- Lily Evans. James competitively accepts, but when the bet is revealed will James' feelings have just been his pretending all along?
1. The Stakes Are Set

A ricocheting of bangs and knocks upon the wood bedroom door split the silence of a once-peaceful morning. The hinges of the door creaked and groaned, having been put through this knocking drill too many times in the past.

"Hey, mate you better get up! Your mum's got us breakfast all made up downstairs! And it's getting kinda late. Knowing you, you haven't packed yet!" The sniggering voice of a boy spoke to the wooden door out in the hallway. When they were given no sign of life within the room beyond, he rapped his knuckles on the door once more.

"OY! Are you alive in there, James?"

The room within was well lived-in and full of spare parchment upon the floors and desk in the corner. Thick books which read bizarre titles were stacked in piles in corners, and a window that let in the morning rays of golden sunlight was open above the bed. Within the small confines of the room something stirred in the mattress beneath the sheets. A hand slithered out and grasped a pair of round glasses that were sitting perched on a bedside table and retreated back into the mass of tangled linens. With a load groan accompanied with an enormous yawn, a tousle-haired boy of about 17 emerged into view. James Potter rubbed the sleep out of his hazel eyes and then replaced his glasses. Stretching and standing to his fairly-tall height, the boy finally answered to the one who stood in the hallway, still pounding upon the closed door.

"All right, already, Sirius! I'm up, all right?"

"Well, would you let me in at least!?" came Sirius' disgruntled reply as he jiggled the apparently-locked handle.

James reached for a thin piece of wood that also lay on his bedside table. He lazily twirled it in his hand, yawned loudly again, and then pointed the tip of the wood at the door as the words "Alohomora" fumbled lazily out of his mouth.

Sirius Black, James' best friend to date and partner in mischief at their wizarding school, threw open the door and marched in talking as he came. "Dunno, why you keep that door locked anyways, mate." Sirius dawned jet black hair like his friend James, but it lacked the many cowlicks of the bespectacled boy. His bright gray eyes were constantly full of laughter and his mouth usually held a permanent smirk.

At Sirius' words about the locked door met James, he pointed his wand at some papers on his desk, whispered something out of the corner of his pursed lips, and they disappeared from view.

"Gotta keep those burglars out, you know?" James forced a laugh. "Isn't that what muggles call the people who break into their houses? I can't believe anyone would even bother going to all the trouble of breaking into someone's house if you're a muggle. What work it must be for them, not having any magic to unlock the doors," James replied casually, hoping Sirius hadn't noticed the vanishing parchment.

"Whatever you say... anyways, you'd better pack this mess up now before your mum finds out. She's already stressed enough what with us leaving for our last year at Hogwarts," Sirius informed James, nodding towards the hallway beyond and where there could be heard clangings and clatterings coming from somewhere else in the house. Mrs. Potter was apparently busy at breakfast in the kitchen downstairs.

"Ah, good ole Hogwarts...can't believe it's our last year, can you, Padfoot?" James addressed Sirius with his old nickname. He sighed and flicked his wand at an open trunk by his bed. His belongings began to fly simultaneously from their places and into the trunk untidily.

"Yeah, pretty exciting I suppose." Sirius ducked as socks and underwear leapt from a drawer behind him and into the trunk. "You looking forward to going back, Prongs?" Sirius winked as he said this to James, and then sniggered.

"And what do you mean by that?" James frowned as he questioned the smirk on Sirius' face.

"Oh, don't act so oblivious. I know you're itching to get back because of a certain red-haired beauty, eh?" Sirius knew he had hit a nerve when he said this to James.

"And what makes you say that, huh?" James' disgruntled attitude was not very well hidden.

"Oh, I know you've been trying to get Lily Evans to go out with you since 4th year. I was only wondering if you're still gunna hopelessly waste your energy with that charade again this year."

"Hopelessly? What, you think she'll still say no again?"

"James," Sirius tried to put it nicely, "She's turned you down every time, mate. What can I say?"

"Ok well why don't you put your money where your mouth is, huh?" An evil grin curled on Sirius' lips as James suggested this.

"All right then. 20 galleons says you can't get Evans to go out on a date with you." Sirius began. "That should be easy enough for me to win right there, because you've failed the past three years at that task anyways, but..." He was interrupted.

"Done! HAH that should be simple! AND how rich I shall be!" James rejoiced at the simplicity of the bet. Sure, it was true what Sirius said, how Lily Evans had given him the cold shoulder, but he had a feeling this year would be different.

"Ah, my friend, but I was not finished. AND you have to kiss her. And no putting her under the Imperius Curse or anything," Sirius chuckled at his own joke, " because it has to be by her own free will."

For a second, James looked dumbfounded. Sirius finished, casting aside some fallen locks of raven black hair off his forehead and crossing his arms to lean against the wall and sneer at James. His reluctance to the bet lasted only a few moments though, and almost immediately he held that manic look in his eyes, destined to win those 20 galleons at all costs.

"You're on." James breathed through gritted teeth. He raised his chin in confidence and returned Sirius' sneer. Sirius turned on his heel and walked from the room. James could hear him upon the stairs down the hallway, apparently going towards the wafting smells of Mrs. Potter's going-away breakfast being prepared for them.

As soon as Sirius had disappeared, James let out a long breath of air in a deep sigh. What had he just gotten himself into? Lily Evans, the red-haired, green-eyed beauty of 7th year, had for so long wanted nothing to do with James Potter, and James seriously doubted she would magically warm up to him when he returned to Hogwarts later that afternoon. But anything having to do with Lily would have made James unaware of anything else in the world because of his complete fascination with her. He couldn't say what he felt for her. She was beautiful and had a fiery spirit he couldn't resist. James walked towards his desk and flicked his wand at the spot where some papers had disappeared earlier. With their reappearance, he pick one up. It was a letter addressed to none other than the very girl Sirius and James had spent the past few minutes discussing. James quickly crumpled the parchment and set it a-flame with his wand tip. His thoughts retreated back to the situation currently at hand.

He realized that his competitive spirit had gotten the best of him in that situation, and denying his best friend a bet wouldn't have been that risk-taking spirit that the two both held and cherished. What was he going to do about Evans though? He had to successfully ask her out, (for about the twentieth time, he might add) and their little date had to close with a "goodnight" kiss? This was going to be much harder than any Quidditch game James had flown in. Yes, when it came to the subject of girls, they seemed much more foreboding than a treacherous and deadly bludger flying at you with top speed during a game of simple Quidditch.


	2. Letter Delivery on the Hogwart's Express

Feet pummeling the stone walkway through King's Cross train station, it seemed James and Sirius hadn't been the only ones running late that morning. White-knuckled hands clenched the trolley she was steering as a girl with cascading crimson hair pushed through the crowds of muggles waiting for their trains. The clock was sure to strike 11:00 any second now, and the barrier would be sealed shut, barricading Lily Evans from Platform 9 and 3/4. With this thought in mind, she ran faster, panting, towards platforms 9 and 10. Glimpsing a clock face overhead, the girl saw that she had a few minutes time before the whistles of the Hogwart's Express would sound its departure from London. Glancing left and right and positioning herself to sidle through the stone barrier, she saw that no muggles were looking . With a great push of her trolley, the ginger-haired girl charged at the wall and slipped through onto 9 and 3/4. She directed her trolley full of her luggage and eagle owl around a corner and pleasantly banged right into someone else's, scattering things down onto the stone platform.

"Oh, damn..." Lily swore and immediately bent down and began snatching things up. "I'm sorry, I was in such a hurry I wasn't looking where I was going..."

"No problem at all, Evans." A second hand joined hers to pick up the fallen items, and Lily stood up so suddenly that she dropped a few of the things she had been clutching.

"James Potter," Lily breathed narrowing her eyes to slits and glaring at the boy, now seemingly a young man.

"Correct." James answered, and was quickly reminded of his conversation with Sirius that morning.

"I take that back." Lily began.

"Take back what?" James asked, genuinely confused.

"I take back my apology. I'm glad I ran into your trolley." Lily grumbled monotonously.

"Now, now, Lily, is that how you're going to start off this year?" James moved beside her and threw his arm around her shoulder. Lily cringed and her head sank down between her shoulders.

"It's our last year together as schoolmates, and we must cherish this short time we have to amend any past disagreements we may have been through." James was sarcastically looking towards the heavens as he said all of this, and it actually made a smile crack on Lily's lips. She had chanced a glance sideways at Potter's "overly large" head and noticed, for the first time ever, how much she could see in his face. All of his intelligence, humor, friendliness, and even cockiness, all intricately blended together. She was shocked that she had been starring, but luckily James hadn't paused in his speech to glance at her.

"That's all just peachy, James, but I must be going." Lily removed his arm from around her shoulders, wondering for the first time why she hadn't been immensely grossed out by it being there in the first place, and threw her once-fallen belongings onto her trolley once more, and wheeled it around towards the train.

"See you at school then!" James' sarcasm still dripped on his every word. Lily raised her hand in a wave, humoring him, but did not turn back around.

So, getting a start on our little deal, are you Prongs?" James ripped his eyes from continuing to stare at Lily's retreating back to come face to face with his old gang of friends. The Marauders, as they liked to call themselves.

Sirius, who had spoken, was leading forward two other 7th years. One, by the name of Remus Lupin, and called Moony by his friends, was pale-faced and had a scrawny look about him. But that could be expected, seeing as he had been most unfortunately bitten by a werewolf in his youth, and still struggled with his transformation once a month. A short and squat young man with beady little eyes, jutting front teeth, and a pointed nose shuffled along behind Lupin, bringing up the rear. This was Peter Pettigrew, known to James, Sirius, and Remus usually as Wormtail for one reason or another.

"What 'little deal' might this be?" Lupin inquired as he slung his trunk onto James' trolley, having tired from carrying it around. The group of boys began to meander towards the Hogwart's Express. The conductor was shouting that departure from platform 9 and 3/4 would be taking place in a few minutes time.

"Oh, it's just-" James began to explain, but Sirius cut him off and filled in Moony and Wormtail for him.

"James and I have a bet going that he can't successfully ask out Evans and have their date end in a kiss. We bet 20 galleons on it. Oh, what a rich man I shall be, eh James?" James glared at his best friend. "I wouldn't get your hopes too high just yet, Padfoot, old friend." James replied simply.

The Marauders handed over their belongings to the rear of the train where they were loaded in with the rest of the students' things, and then one by one they disappeared onto the Express to find their usual compartment. James slid in beside the window and gazed out as the train chugged out of the station. His friends had started a game of Exploding Snap which he had chosen to exclude himself from.

About an hour into the train ride, a knock was presented on the door of the Marauders' compartment. Peter slid open the door and squeaked a little when he saw who was their visitor.

"Is James in here?" came a cool female voice. James' head snapped from the window. Lily Evans stood in the doorway.

"Right here," he replied, trying to act calm. What was she doing here to see me for? he thought to himself. He realized too late that he was staring at her, but Lily spoke again.

"We're needed up at the front of the train, Potter."

"What for?" James asked, thoroughly confused.

"How am I supposed to know! Just come on, it must be something important."

James stood up clumsily, tripped over Remus' legs, caught himself before slamming into the wall, and somehow got out of the compartment door to follow Lily down the train. He liked that she was in front of him. He could stare at her without her knowing anything. Her scarlet hair swished back and forth with the movement of the train and her walking. Good thing she was turned the other way. James seemed to be having a bit of trouble with the concept of walking.

Lily reached the head of the train where it was filled with the prefects from other houses. Also, the conductor was there and in his hand he was clutching two letters that were sealed with the Hogwarts crest.

"These just arrived by owl from the school," the conductor informed them. James and Lily looked at each other, both very curious as to what the letters enclosed. The man shoved the parchment into their outstretched hands and walked off past them. Netiher Evans nor Potter made to open the letters, possibly because so many of the 5th year new prefects were gazing avidly at them, apparently also curious as to what was so important in those letters that they needed to be sent to them before they even arrived at school.

James cleared his throat. "Ahem...Lily? Want to open these somewhere else?" He lead the way into the hallway lined with compartments. Here, he slit open the top of the letter and pulled out a letter addressed to him. Lily was doing the same.

Dear James Potter,

We are proud to let you know that you have been chosen as Hogwart's Head Boy. You have shown the skills, intelligence, and responsibility to take on this duty. . .

James skimmed over the rest of the words, still not believing what he had just read. He chanced a glance up and met eyes with Lily at the same time, wondering if her letter read the same words as his...

"Head Girl?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Head Boy?" James nodded in answer.

"I never expected this..." James was saying out loud, more to himself than anyone else.

"Well, we've obviously earned this, the headmaster believes..." Lily offered. She was looking at James in a way she had never looked at him before. Like with a kind of pride she had for him. Maybe she never thought James Potter could clean up his act enough to deserve the Head Boy title.

"Well, it says here we'll get more information when we get to school tonight..."

"Yeah, yeah..." James was saying , still in a lock-gaze with Lily Evans. She ambled off down the corridor and turned her head as she went, smiling. James slumped against the wall and ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it up and sighing deeply as he closed his eyes.

"Head Boy..." He still couldn't get over that minor detail now added to his 7th year at Hogwarts. This was going to be interesting though, seeing as he "shared his duties" with none other than the girl he was betting money on with Sirius. He grinned and walked coolly back to his compartment.


End file.
